Track-across-track conveyer



March 17, 1953 w. B. DEAN 2,631,547

TRACK-ACROSS-TRACK CONVEYER Filed Feb. 9, 1950 2 SHEETS-Sl-IEET 1 INVENTOR. Wolcer 8. Dean ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 17, 1953 TRACK-ACROSS-TRACK CONVEYER Walter B. Dean, Paris, France, assignor to The Budd Company, Philadelphia, Pin, a corporation of Pennsylvania ATENT OFFICE Application February 9, 1950, Serial No. 143,222

4 Claims.

This invention relates to track-across-track conveyor, especially to a conveyor adapted to remove or replace a heavy unit, such as a wheel driving engine, which is mounted beneath a railway vehicle, and has for an object the provision of improvements in this art.

is adapted to move on cross-rails and which is provided with elevating means whichare located at a plurality of points in correct position to engage lift points or pads on the unit to be lifted.

Another object is to provide convenient means for locating and retaining the conveyor tracks on the main car tracks and for adjustably supporting the outer ends of the conveyor tracks.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of an exemplary embodiment thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a railway car provided with propulsion engine units mounted below the floor and showing a conveyor of the present invention disposed below one engine unit ready to remove it;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section of the car and an elevation of the track-and-conveyor assembly, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1 showing the engine unit in two stages of removal or installation Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the track and conveyor assembly, the engine unit being shown in two positions in broken lines;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation, as in Fig. 2 or as looking at the left side of Fig. 3, but showing the cross track of the track-conveyor assembly alone;

Fig. 5 is a corner section and perspective taken from about the line 5-5 of Fig. 3 and assuming that the carriage is located where it is shown in on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. '7 is a side View of the outer end of a crossrail, the view being taken on the line l? of Figs. 3 and 4.

Referring to the drawings, a railcar iii operating on main railway track rails l i carries beneath the floor a heavy unit 52 which at times requires removal and replacement, the unit in the present instance being a traction engine and transmission mechanism adapted to move the car along its tracks. The engine unit is suspended beneath the car in such manner that it can be quickly disconnected from its supports and from all of its service lines (exhaust, air intake, coolant pipes, control cables, etc.), then lowered and moved sidewise from beneath the car. It is believed to be unnecessary to describe here or to illustrate the supporting and service line connections but it is to be noted that three-point suspension of the unit is provided. The engine is provided with suitable jacking pads it, three in the present instance, two at the outboard end near the car trucks and one at the inboard end. The jacking pads are located near the three supports which suspend the unit beneath the car.

The conveyor with which the present invention is concerned includes a pair of conveyor cross rails l5, here in the form of large rigid tubes, which extend across the railway rails i! and out on the side for a considerable distance to carry the engine unit clear of the car where it may be taken by some other conveyor means when necessary. Means, such as projections it secured beneath the rails :5, are provided for holding these rails in proper transverse position on the railway rails. These projections may be formed on flat plates which are welded to the conveyor rails and furnish flat seats on the rail- Way rails. Means are also provided for adjustably supporting the outer ends of the conveyor rails. These adjustable supports may be adapted for use on any type of surface but in the specific case considered they are adapted to be used on a concrete floor H which is approximately the same height as the tops of the railway rails and for this environment relatively small jacks i8 are provided on the conveyor rails. The jacks is are carried by brackets 29 welded to the ends of the rails.

The conveyor rails are secured together in proper spaced relationship by tie rods 2i provided with elements 22, such as flanges on each side of a groove, on their ends which interfit with elements 23, such as ribs with slots, on the rails, specifically the ribs 23 being formed on the brackets is at the outer end and on brackets lSa similarly welded to the inner ends of the rails.

A carriage 24 is provided for movement on the conveyor rails l and for supporting the unit to be moved. The carriage consists of a frame 25 provided with axles 26 carrying wheels 2? which ride on the rails it. The wheels are concave in annular section to fit on the curved surface of the tubular rails. It is to be noted, especially as shown in Fig. 6, that considerable space is provided for endwise movement of the wheels on the axles, this together with the flared shape of the wheel grooves and the circular section rails permitting the carriage to be shifted endwise or around a vertical axis so as to line up the three points of engagement with the engine unit whether or not the tracks [5 are located precisely in proper position. The carriage frame consists largely of large tubular sections welded together, there being a side section 250;, a front section 25?) welded thereto on a miter, an angled front section 250 welded on a miter to 2th, a lower stub front section 25d welded on a miter to 25c, and an upper stub front section 25c welded to a vertical plate 25 to which the section 25d is also welded but on the opposite side at a lower level. A gusset 25g strengthens the connection between the plate 25 and the section 25d. A corner brace 25h is welded to the sections 25a and 2:52).

There are two wheels 27 riding on one rail i5 and one on the other rail, the axles 2B for each of the two wheels on the one side (Figs. 3 and 6) being welded to spaced plates 30 which are welded to the tubular section 25a and the axle 25 for the one wheel on the other side (Figs. 5 and 6) being secured between plates 3i which are welded to the section 25c.

The plates 23% extend upward from the low level section 25a and the plates 3| extend forward from the high level section 25c, the axles all being thus placed at the same level. The greater part of the frame is thus disposed at an elevation almost as low as and between the cross rails 15 while only the section which carries the single wheel for one side is disposed above the level of the cross rails. This provides the maximum space below the car.

A plurality of platform plates 34 are provided on the frame 25 for supporting jacks 35 beneath the jacking pads of the engine. the support plates 35 (the left in Fig. 3 and the one shown in Fig. 5) is welded between spaced vertical plates 36 which are welded to the lower stub section 25d and the other two support plates 34 (the right in Fig. 3 Fig. 6) are welded to spaced vertical plates 31 which are welded to the section 25a. The plates 35 extend forward to a point about even with the single wheel and the plates 3? extend inward from the inner side of the section 2511. The platform plates 3% are located well below the top of the main part of the frame 25, thus further increasing the space below the car available for lifting.

Pull and lift loops 3% are welded to the frame at the four places indicated.

It will be noted that the center of gravity (C. G.) of the engine unit falls within the triangle of the supports 36 and that the triangle of these supports falls within the triangle of the three wheels 21; also that the frame support plates or seats 34 are disposed between the carriage frame side parts, and only a slight distance above the main car rails. This extremely low support position is achieved while still pre- One of and the one shown in r serving great strength and rigidity for the supports.

When an engine unit is to be shifted, i. e. placed, removed, or replaced, the cross rails [5 are pushed under the car beneath the engine unit and seated on the main rails ll, their pads and flanges is holding the cross rails 15 in proper position on the main rails l l. The spacers 2! are dropped down in their sockets in the brackets l9, 941 to hold the cross rails l5 in properly spaced relation for the carriage. The carriage 24 is then lifted and its wheels 2? set on the rails 15. It is placed as indicated for the engine unit shown at the right of Fig. 1 but reversely for the engine shown on the left, if the cross rails i 5 are to project out from the same side of the car as for the right engine unit. Of course, if space permits, the rails may be so placed that they protrude out on the other side of the car. Either the car or the conveyor rails will now be moved along the tracks ii until the support plates 34 and jacks 35 carried thereby line up beneath the jacking pads E3 of the engine unit. The floor jacks l8 are adjusted until the cross tracks 15 are equally supported on both rails l i and the floor IT. The carriage may then be run under the engine unit, the unit raised by the jacks, the unit disconnected from its supports, the unit then being lowered by the jacks until all parts clear, and then the carriage with the engine unit run out on the cross rails l5.

The carriage is stopped in its extreme position on the rails 25 by having its wheels engage end stops M which are welded to the rails 15 and to raised portions of the brackets l9 or l9a. This also strengthens the attachment of the brackets to the ends of the rails.

When the carriage or dolly is not in use it may be quickly disassembled and may then be stored in a very narrow space, no parts being of a thickness appreciably greater than the diameter of the cross rails 15.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides a carriage or dolly and cross rails which are light in weight but very strong, which pro--' a size.

While one embodiment has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that there may be various embodiments within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A carriage or dolly assembly, comprising in combination, a skeleton carriage frame formed of horizontal tubular members welded together, a plurality of sets of spaced vertical axle-anchorage plates welded transversely across the axes of said tubular members, wheel axles welded to said anchorage plates, all axles having their axes disposed in parallel planes and at an elevation above said tubular members, a plurality of sets of vertical load support plates welded transversely across the axes of said tubular members at spaced support points, and horizontal load-support plates welded to said vertical load support plates at an elevation below the top surfaces of said tubular members.

2. A carriage or dolly assembly, comprising in combination, a skeleton carriage frame formed of horizontal tubular members welded together, a plurality of sets of spaced vertical axle-anchorage plates welded transversely across the axes of said tubular members, wheel axles welded to said anchorage plates, all axles having their axes disposed in parallel planes and at an elevation above said tubular members, a plurality of sets of vertical load-support plates welded transversely across the axes of said tubular members at spaced support points, and horizontal load-support plates welded to said vertical load support plates at an elevation below the top surfaces of said tubular members, said axles carrying wheels on which the carriage travels, and said horizontal load-support plates being located within the horizontal area defined by the wheel locations.

3. A carriage or dolly assembly adapted to roll on parallel rails, comprising in combination, a carriage or dolly having flange-d wheels arranged to ride on said rails, said carriage comprising a tubular frame having a front portion adapted to be disposed transversely to said rails, a side portion joined to the front portion and adapted to be disposed parallel to said rails and disposed closely adjacent one of the rails, said front and side portions having an elevation at the top not substantially higher than the top of the said rails, wheel mounting means on said side portion and the end of said front portion which is disposed away from said side portion for supporting said wheels on the tracks at three spaced points on a triangle and at only the three points, said wheel mounting means having a top elevation which is above that of the tubular frame, and three lift jacks mounted on three supporting plates disposed in a triangle located wholly within the wheel support triangle and below the top level of the tubular frame.

4. A carriage dolly assembly adapted to roll on parallel rails, comprising in combination, a carriage or dolly having double-flanged wheels arranged to ride on said rails, said carriage comprising a tubular frame having a side portion lying alongside one of the rails and a front portion integrally secured to the front end of the side portion and arranged to lie transversely between the rails, a tubular diagonal portion integrally secured to said side and front portions across the angle at their corner connection, said front portion near its end remote from the side portion being offset horizontally and rearwardly, wheel mounting means rising upwardly and outwardly from two points near the front and rear ends of said side portion for supporting two wheels on the adjacent rail, wheel mounting means rising upwardly and outwardly and then forwardly from the other end of the front portion for supporting a wheel on the other rail, two lifting jack supports secured to said side portion on the side opposite the wheels and between the wheel locations along the side portion, and a jack support secured adjacent the wheel mounting of the front portion and disposed in front of the front portion like the wheel at that end, the jack supports being disposed at the apices of a triangle lying within the horizontal triangular area defined by the three points of Wheel support of the carriage.

WALTER B. DEAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 382,711 Little May 15, 1888 778,560 Whiting Dec. 27, 1904 833,924 Hanna Oct. 23, 1906 968,315 Beckert Aug. 23, 1910 1,573,918 Dewhirst Feb. 23, 1926 1,858,768 Ellstrom May 17, 1932 2,117,077 Bernard May 10, 1938 

